Glorious Maverick
by HearDrJen
Summary: The beginnings of an adventure between Myrnin and Claire. A trip through his tangled thoughts, Claire's mixed emotions towards Myrnin and perhaps the discovery that you can love many people, not always in the same way, but love them all the same.
1. Chapter 1

This is written merely at some point, no particular part of any timeline, I suppose it would have to follow the introduction of Myrnin as a Player in the game.

I of course own no rights or privileges to Rachel Caine's world and make no profit off my free-time exercises in creativity. All characters within are hers and hers alone. I hope you enjoy.

**Gifted Maverick:**

Anxiety pounding through my skull, my bones feeling like they were too large to be contained within my skin, my skin too tight upon my body, everything was falling apart. Where was my Claire, my assistant, my guide in the dark? I rose, glorious in my deadly swiftness, pushing books off the table, a tray of crucibles and test tubes falling from the table to the littered floor. A burst of anger at the viscious cacophony of sound as they shattered on the stone floor of my laboratory. Why wasn't Claire here working with me? Amelie gave her to me! I needed my light in the dark to help me find the cure, the pressure of the years pushing down on my thin skin, threatening my very existence and teasing Death that he could have me. Unacceptable. I was no backwards dullwit, I was the Glorious Myrnin – nothing could prevent my success over any obstacle. Had I not survived for centuries, won the honour and acclaim of my entire species, made discoveries worth fortunes? Of course I had.

A wretched sob slipped between my clenched teeth and I sank to the cold stone, my back to the overturned stool I'd been sitting upon moments before. What was happening now? Where were the ideas that had always run to my mind like lemmings to the proverbial sea? Why was fate choosing this most intimate and cruel form of punishment. Me, revered for my mind above all else, now losing it. Unacceptable. There could be no rest, no respite, this war within my own body could not be lost.

Wrenching myself from the pitiful heap on the floor, anger again energizing me where only despair had ruled moments before I ran to the portal behind the laboratory door and mentally 'dialed' Claire's number.

I'd of course been here many times before. Watching what she did when she was not with me. Usually, in a more calm state of mind, answering my curiousity about what humans found the fill the short hours of their brief existence. To try to understand what made Claire so special, why her inner light was so radiant to me. Not just to me…no, Claire had spurred the curiousity and interest of all who met her. Amelie, not one easily impressed after her centuries of existence. The humans around her, all either rallied to her, or were forced away by their own jealousy of her. And me, had anyone asked I'd have said I was the most jaded of all. Secure in my own place in my society and comfortable with both my inner demon and it's needs. Really, she didn't seem too remarkable. Sure she was smart, but I'd met many other smart people in my lifetime. She was attractive, in a delicate waifish way, but no sexual goddess to turn heads and inspire worship. Yet, here I was, bemoaning my own limitations and fears and turning to her like the guiding star in the black night of my pitiful decline.

Anxiety fueling my steps in the dark and quiet house I rushed soundlessly up the stairs, the house sending out a tangible warning tingle against my skin. The Glass house forced to tolerate my presence as Amelie had keyed me into its system decades before. I followed her sweet scent, lilac shampoo and citrus body wash, down the hall to her room and slipped inside the door. I paused a short moment before approaching to look at her in her innocent slumber. Her dark hair thrown across the pillow, purple and blue striped sheets twisted around her legs, one arm thrown off the bed. Reaching out I placed one hand across her mouth to silence the scream that was sure to come and scooped her into my arms and started out of the room and back to my lab. She really was nothing more than light to me, her body weighed nothing, but the shine of her blanketed me, soothing the tension in my skin, slightly easing the headache pounding behind my eyes. I crooned into her hair, "Hush little baby, don't you cry" while I cuddled her warm brilliance into my chest and soundlessly carried her back down the stairs to the portal. Barely even noticing her fluttering heart and tense muscles trying to wrest herself out of my grasp. "Daddy loves you and so do I".


	2. Chapter 2

Kittens were dancing in the rain, puddles forming around their delicate paws. A Rainbow stretching overhead as the adorable animals danced in the warm wet heavy air that followed the Texas downpours. The earth was so unused to soaking up the crystalline drops that it pooled on the surface instead of immediately seeping into its dry parched crust. How odd to watch kitties dancing in the rain, I sat on a rock not minding the drops soaking my hair to my scalp or my clothes to my skin, smiling in delight at the view before me.

A shriek boiling up my throat to my lips when darkness suddenly dropped down and my opened eyes found nothing to view and not finding my voice or air to draw a breath with. Fear overwhelming me as that tenth of a second of complete disorientation began to recede and I realized it was night, I couldn't see because the lights were not on. I couldn't scream because someone had my mouth and nose covered by their large hand and was pulling me out of my bed as if I were a ragdoll– which meant only one thing, Vampire. I was in deep trouble, and couldn't even warn Eve, Michael of Shane. Oh god, what if the Vampire had gotten to them first! How did one get into the house? I knew the Glass House protected us, I guess now that Michael was a Vampire it was easier for them to get in. Oh Crap, what could I do to get out of this, my attempts to break his grasp were like striking a statue. One arm under my knees the other behind my back, the hand wrapped around my face, pulling me securely into his chest as he swiftly left my room and descended down the stairs. Amazingly I heard a lullaby coming from his lips where he was singing into my hair, "Hush little baby, don't you cry, Daddy loves you and so do I". Holy Cow, I knew who this was. And while this wasn't good by any stretch of even Eve's imagination, this was a mostly known element. I knew who was 'kidnapping' me now, and he probably didn't intend to eat me or my housemates. Probably, because well, Myrnin had his good days and his bad and with this as the starting point, it wasn't looking like one of his more rational ones. On the other side, Myrnin knew Amelie wanted me alive, so I didn't think he'd kill me.

Relaxing into his arms I decided to see what happened, no surprised when he paused before the living room wall, breaking in his lullaby to focus a moment on the wall and awaken the portal before slipping us both through. I didn't think anyone in the house had awakened; really, it had taken him 30 second tops to grab me from my bedroom, and escape through the portal. In the morning no one would know where I was. Kicking myself, would they even realize something was wrong, probably not, most likely they'd think I had an early class and walked to campus before the rest Eve or Shane, the sleepyhead even crawled from their beds. Michael as a Vampire would be in hiding the entire day, unaware rather I was home or not. Probably no one would worry or notice I was under the radar until dinner tonight, and then Myrnin wouldn't be the first though for where I would be. Really on Michael knew I worked for Myrnin and he wouldn't awaken till twilight. Shane would be frantic, which would make Eve frantic, but no one knew where to look for me. No, I would have to keep Myrnin calm and get myself home as soon as I could.


End file.
